Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that there seems to be a lot more wasps than usual around in some areas. We were down in North Norfolk for 2 weeks and hardly saw a single wasp. We are now in the Lincolnshire/Leicestershire/Rutland border area and the wasps are unbelievable. Everywhere we have been so far this week has been totally overrun with wasps. I have my tennis racquet style zapper in the awning and am killing dozen of wasps every day in the small amount of time we are actually in the awning. Today we went to Burghley House and you couldn’t even sit outside in the cafe area as there were hundreds of wasps constantly buzzing around and it has been a similar picture wherever we have been this week. I don’t ever recall seeing so many wasps in previous years.
Must be local. Not seen a single wasp in our Ayrshire garden so far this year, or indeed anywhere else north of the border.
We had sugar-water wasp traps up 2 years ago, the plums copped it.
Wasps thrive in warm, calm, dryish weather and an environment where there is an abundant supply of small insects such as aphids to feed their larvae. This year we have had the ideal conditions for wasps to thrive and in East Anglia they are about 2 weeks ahead of where they are normally. A few of the nests will produce queens early this year and we may get a second flush of wasp nest being made between now and October, and if we do we will probably have a mix of wasps who are sweet feeding and those with new larvae insect feeding.
Don't use jam jar type wasp traps or even unproven plastic type wasp traps as these do not work and just attract more wasps to the area. There is only one wasp trap that I have found that works and it is expensive, although probably value for money on a commercial location where customer experience is suffering due to the wasps.
Facinating little stripey creatures, but potentially deadly - anaphylaxis and Kounis Syndrome.
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We are in Northamptonshire and, so far, have seen very few. Lots of ladybirds and hoverflies though. It's probably still a bit early for wasps around here.
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Quote: Originally posted by Monty15 on 18/7/2025
Not seen any in the burbs of London, I'm out and about at least twice a day walking the dog, so tend to be aware of them - I have no love for them!
You've got 'em, you keep 'em, Pixie!
I have no fondness for them either Monty, perhaps we should declare a wasp-free zone. We can't be all that far from you unless you are way down in the south of London, as we are only about 7 miles north of the M25.
Quite a lot up here in Fife but remember they are good polinators and they eat the green fly etc in our beech hedging, we only use the zapper as a last resort, ( when they are going for my gin)
Wasps easily confused with Hoverfies (I love the way they do what their name says, at my eye level). Similarly stripy but delicate & as far as I know, they don’t sting. Great Pollinators too. We have plenty of them in the garden.
I think the wasps will finally come when the plums are ripe.
Wasps out and about in Girvan and all the way up the Ayrshire coast.
The swatter was going full pelt.
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Quote: Originally posted by blueexpo97 on 20/7/2025
Wasps out and about in Girvan and all the way up the Ayrshire coast.
The swatter was going full pelt.
BBC agrees: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz7ld2jgqz2
However, they’ve not arrived with us at the other end of the Ayrshire coast - still just hover flies, honey bees & bumble bees. And we didn’t see a single wasp in Argyll last week, in the Oban & Inveraray areas, despite having ice creams. (No West Highland midges either… bliss.)
As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
Was camping at Thruxton for the British Superbike Championship this last weekend, you could count on one hand the amount of Wasps we saw. Previous years they would just not leave your beer alone.
Seen a few while camping to date, no more than usual I'd say.
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Topic: Wasps
via mobile 17/7/2025 at 8:42pm
